More than 400 approved operating licences remain uncollected as Gauteng intensifies efforts to improve compliance, safety and regulation in the public transport sector
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has issued an urgent appeal to public transport operators to collect their approved operating licences, warning that hundreds of unclaimed permits could be cancelled if they are not collected by the prescribed deadline.
The call forms part of the department’s ongoing drive to formalise and regulate the province’s public transport sector, ensuring that qualifying operators can continue to operate legally while improving passenger safety and regulatory compliance.
According to a statement released by Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, more than 400 valid operating licences remain uncollected despite significant progress in reducing the province’s licensing backlog.
Operators who have been notified via SMS or through their transport associations have until August 14 of this year to collect their licences.
“We are calling on applicants, particularly minibus taxi and scholar transport operators, to collect their operating licences,” Diale-Tlabela said.
“We encourage them to collect their operating licences without delay, so they can continue to operate legally and contribute to safer roads across Gauteng.”
The department has prioritised the processing and issuing of operating licences since November 2025 as part of broader efforts to improve regulatory compliance across the public transport industry.
To date, more than 2,000 operating licences have been issued to qualifying minibus taxi and scholar transport operators, helping reduce a longstanding backlog that has affected the sector.
The licensing campaign has gained increased public attention following several high-profile road crashes involving scholar transport vehicles, including a tragic incident in the Vaal earlier this year that claimed the lives of 12 schoolchildren. The accident renewed calls for stricter oversight of scholar transport operators and greater enforcement of licensing and safety requirements.